opening politics the wellstone way - (4-2010)
TRANSCRIPT
• Community organizer with farmers, students, low income people, environmentalists and workers
Our Roots: Paul Wellstone• U.S. Senator from Minnesota: 1990 – 2002
• College professor for 20 years• Mentor and friend to thousands of people
Our Mission
Igniting leadership in people and power in communities to win change in the progressive
tradition of Paul and Sheila Wellstone.
The “greening” of America!
Over 35,000 people
trained since 2004
in 48 states; alumni in all 50!
Over 800 candidates trained;300 alumni elected to office!
Hundreds of organizations, thousands of organizers
winning progressive change!
Lesson 1: Authentic leadership is not only the right way, but is also a winning strategy.
Lessons
Trust
Candidate(Values &
experiences)
Voters(Values &
experiences)
Lesson 2: We need strategy and a long term perspective that looks beyond a single victory.
Lessons
Our Dreams
Our Reality
The GAP
PowerThe ability to achieve our purpose or agenda
What fills the GAP is …
Issue Advocacy -Development
Electoral Mobilization
Growth -Education-Outreach
The Wellstone Triangle:Our Model for Building Long-Term Power
Agenda
Growth PoliticsDevelop New
Leaders
Community/LaborOrganizing
Builds a constituency that fights for change
Electoral PoliticsDetermines who makes
decisions and holdsthem accountable
Progressive Public PolicyProvides vision, direction and agenda
Wellstone Action/with modifications by Unions New South Wales
Building grassroots power to affect change:
Or how we begin building a movement
AdvocacyLobbying, contracts,
coalitions, issues
ElectoralDetermining
who will make the decisions
BasebuildingBuilding capacity, commitment and
infrastructure around a compelling, coherent
vision and set of values
Organizing WorkMobilizingWork
MobilizingWork
